Heuchera plant named ‘Carnival Peach Parfait’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Heuchera  plant named ‘Carnival Peach Parfait’, characterized by its greyed rosy-peach colored foliage with a slight silvery overlay and prominent reddish to reddish-brown venation, light green and greyed-purple colored flowers, and moderately vigorous, mounded growth habit, is disclosed.

Latin name of genus and species of plant claimed: Heuchera×hybrida.

Variety denomination: ‘Carnival Peach Parfait’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera plant botanically known as Heuchera×hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Carnival Peach Parfait’.

The new cultivar originated in a controlled breeding program in Elburn, Ill. during May 2006. The objective of the breeding program was the development of Heuchera cultivars with unique foliage coloration and mounded growth habit.

The new Heuchera cultivar is the result of cross-pollination. The female (seed) parent of the new cultivar is the proprietary Heuchera×hybrida breeding selection coded 19044, not patented, characterized by its light yellowish-green colored foliage, white-colored flowers having a light pink overlay, and moderately vigorous, mounded growth habit. The male (pollen) parent of the new cultivar is ‘Georgia Peach’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,375, characterized by its pink-orange to burgundy-pink colored foliage, white and pink colored flowers, and vigorous, mounded growth habit. The new cultivar was discovered and selected as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the above stated cross-pollination during March 2007 in a controlled environment in Elburn, Ill.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by in vitro propagation since March 2007 in West Chicago, Ill. has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all of the characteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following characteristics of the new cultivar have been repeatedly observed and can be used to distinguish ‘Carnival Peach Parfait’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera plant:

-   -   1. Greyed rosy-peach colored foliage with a slight silvery         overlay and prominent reddish to reddish-brown venation;     -   2. Light green and greyed-purple colored flowers; and     -   3. Moderately vigorous, mounded growth habit.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the female and male parents primarily in having a different foliage color and a different flower color.

Of the many commercially available Heuchera cultivars, the most similar in comparison to the new cultivar is the male parent ‘Georgia Peach’ U.S. Pat. No. 19,375. However, in comparison, plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of ‘Georgia Peach’ in at least the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new cultivar have a mature foliage color         different from plants of ‘Georgia Peach’;     -   2. Plants of the new cultivar have a foliage margin that is more         ruffled than plants of ‘Georgia Peach’; and     -   3. Plants of the new cultivar have a flower color different from         plants of ‘Georgia Peach’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show, as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typical flower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. Colors in the photographs differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed description, which accurately describes the colors of ‘Carnival Peach Parfait’. The plants were grown in one-gallon containers for approximately one year in a greenhouse in West Chicago, Ill.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the overall growth habit of ‘Carnival Peach Parfait’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of an individual inflorescence of ‘Carnival Peach Parfait’.

FIG. 3 illustrates a close-up view of an individual mature leaf of ‘Carnival Peach Parfait’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature, light intensity, and day length, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, 2007 edition, except where general color terms of ordinary significance are used. The color values were determined in May 2012 under natural light conditions in West Chicago, Ill.

The following descriptions and measurements describe plants produced from in vitro plantlets and grown in a glass-covered greenhouse under conditions comparable to those used in commercial practice. The plants were grown in West Chicago, Ill. in one-gallon containers for approximately one year utilizing a soilless growth medium. Greenhouse temperatures were maintained at approximately 70° F. to 77° F. (21° C. to 25° C.) during the day and approximately 65° F. to 68° F. (18° C. to 20° C.) during the night. Greenhouse light levels of 2,500 footcandles to 6,000 footcandles were maintained during the day. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical plants.

-   Botanical classification: Heuchera×hybrida cultivar Carnival Peach     Parfait. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary Heuchera×hybrida breeding             selection coded 19044, not patented.         -   Male parent.—‘Georgia Peach’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,375. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—In vitro propagation is preferred, divisions are             possible.         -   Time to initiate roots in vitro.—Approximately 10 days at             20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots in greenhouse.—Approximately 20 days             at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plantlet in summer.—Approximately             42 days.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white to ivory in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Commercial crop time.—Approximately 20 weeks from a rooted             tissue culture plantlet to finish in a 1 gallon container.         -   Growth habit and general appearance.—Clump-forming             herbaceous perennial, mounded foliage.         -   Growth rate.—Moderately vigorous.         -   Outdoor plant performance.—Use as bedding plants or in             mixed-container plantings; at least tolerant to temperatures             up to 35° C. and hardy to USDA zone 3.         -   Size.—Height from soil level to top of plant plane:             Approximately 61.0 cm. Height from soil level to top of             foliage: Approximately 28.0 cm. Width: Approximately 46.0             cm.         -   Branching habit.—No branching, basal rosettes of leaves on             petioles. Number of rosettes per plant: Approximately 5. -   Foliage description:     -   -   General description.—Moderately durable to environmental             stresses. Quantity of leaves per rosette: Approximately 12.             Fragrance: None. Form: Simple. Arrangement: Alternate.         -   Leaves.—Aspect: Blade is nearly perpendicular to petiole.             Shape: Orbicular. Margin: Crenate, shallowly lobed, wavy.             Apex: Broadly acute. Base: Cordate, sometimes moderately             overlapping. Venation pattern: Palmate. Length of mature             leaf: Approximately 13.0 cm. Width of mature leaf:             Approximately 14.0 cm. Texture of upper surface: Dull,             slightly rough, sparsely pubescent with short hairs. Texture             of lower surface: Slightly glossy, moderately pubescent with             short hairs. Color of upper surface of young foliage:             Closest to 181D with a slight overlay of 202D and venation             of 185A. Color of lower surface of young and mature foliage:             N186D. Color of upper surface of mature foliage: Closest to             181D with a slight overlay of 202D and venation area and             margins of 185A with 166A, transitions in winter closest to             193D with venation area of 137A to N137A and margins tinged             with 166A.         -   Petiole.—Length: Approximately 16.0 cm. Diameter:             Approximately 3.0 mm. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color:             145D with a heavy overlay of 187B to 187A.         -   Stipules.—Two leafy stipules located at the base of each             petiole. Apex: Narrow acute. Length: Approximately 1.0 cm.             Width: Approximately 2.0 mm. Color: 187D. -   Flowering description:     -   -   Flowering habit.—‘Carnival Peach Parfait’ flowers once a             year during late spring to midsummer under outdoor             conditions.         -   Lastingness of individual flower on the plant.—Approximately             7 days. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   General description.—Type: Compound spike emerging from the             base of the rosette with two to three cauline leaves.             Fragrance: None. Length or height excluding the peduncle:             Approximately 29.0 cm. Width: Approximately 12.5 cm.             Quantity of inflorescences per plant: Approximately 14.             Quantity of flowers per inflorescence: Approximately 80.         -   Peduncle.—Strength: Moderate. Aspect: Erect to approximately             45° angle from vertical. Length: Approximately 21.0 cm.             Diameter at midpoint: Approximately 3.0 to 4.0 mm. Texture:             Densely pubescent. Color: 187B to 187A. -   Flower description:     -   -   General description.—Type: Single, campanulate,             self-cleaning. Aspect: Drooping to slightly outward.         -   Bud.—Rate of opening: Generally takes 4 days for bud to             progress from first color to fully open flower.         -   Bud just before opening.—Shape: Broadly obovate. Length:             Approximately 4.0 mm. Diameter: Approximately 3.0 mm.             Texture: Densely glandular pubescent. Gland Color: 187A.             Color: Upper half closest to 160A with lower half of 184C.         -   Corolla.—Shape: Campanulate. Diameter: Approximately 5.0 mm.             Depth: Approximately 7.0 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity: 6. Arrangement: Single whorl. Shape:             Narrowly elliptic. Appearance: Dull. Margin: Entire. Apex:             Acute. Base: Lower half fused into hypanthium. Length:             Approximately 7.0 mm. Width: Approximately 1.0 mm. Texture             of upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous. Color of upper and             lower surfaces when first and fully open: NN155D.         -   Calyx.—Shape: Campanulate. Diameter: Approximately 5.0 mm.             Depth: Approximately 6.0 mm.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: 5. Shape: Elliptic. Appearance:             Dull. Margin of free portion: Entire. Apex: Acute. Base:             Lower half fused into hypanthium. Length: Approximately             6.0 mm. Width at rim of hypanthium: Approximately 2.0 mm.             Texture of upper surface: Glabrous. Texture of lower             surface: Densely pubescent with a mixture of glandular and             nonglandular hairs. Gland Color: 187A. Color of upper             surface: 145D. Color of lower surface: Upper half 145C to             145D with lower half of 184C to 184D that fades with age to             197C.         -   Pedicel.—Strength: Moderate. Aspect: The pedicel of the             central flower of each spikelet is directly on top of the             secondary pedicel, pedicels of secondary and tertiary             flowers of each spikelet have an average 40° angle from             vertical. Length: Approximately 3.0 mm. Diameter: Less than             1.0 mm. Texture: Densely glandular pubescent. Gland color:             187A. Color: 187C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity: 6 per flower.             Anther shape: Ovate. Anther length: Less than 1.0 mm. Anther             color: N25A. Filament length: Approximately 4.0 mm. Filament             color: NN155D. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color: 25C.             Gynoecium: Pistil quantity: 2 per flower. Pistil length:             Approximately 8.0 mm. Stigma shape: Pointed. Stigma color:             NN155C. Style length: Approximately 6.0 mm. Style color:             NN155C, opaque. Ovary color: N144D. -   Seed and fruit production: Neither seed nor fruit production has     been observed. -   Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests     common to Heuchera has not been observed. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera plant named ‘Carnival Peach Parfait’, substantially as herein shown and described. 